He's My Brother
by superwholockianwriter
Summary: *set after the flashback in Season 11 Episode 8* When Sam goes on his first hunt, Dean is anxious about him getting hurt. And when Sam is fatally injured, Dean feels responsible and wants to prove to his Dad that he can take care of his little brother.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – The Hunt

Dad kept trying to convince me that this job was too dangerous for Sammy to come along on. But after pointing out that Sam was eight years old and could handle the pressure, Dad finally agreed to let him go. When I told Sam, he was excited to go on the hunt. Dad still thought of him as a baby and rarely let him go on hunts. I wanted to protect Sam as much as Dad did, but I did think that it would be nice to have an extra person to watch our backs. And Sam didn't have to go into the extremely dangerous situations.

Now that I looked back on it, I wished I had told him to stay in the hotel room and catch up on all of his nerdy books. But it's too late for that now and I'll have to live with that decision. But I'm jumping ahead of myself; back to the story.

As night closed in, Dad, Sam, and I loaded into the Impala and headed to the place where the ghost we were hunting was. On the whole ride over, Dad lectured Sam on how he needed to run if things went sideways. I knew Sam was tired of hearing this lecture every time he went on a hunt; I know I was certainly sick of it.

On the whole ride over, all I could think of was what would happen if Sam did get hurt. I knew it was unlikely he would get hurt on his first hunt, but he was still a kid and could do stupid things. I needed to prove to Dad that I could take care of Sammy both in the motels and on a hunt. Sometimes I still felt that Dad thought I couldn't take care of Sammy. I had been doing that for the past eight years and I was tired of Dad not appreciating me. But one day Dad would finally realize how much I did for him and appreciate me.

After about fifteen minutes of listening to Dad drone on about how dangerous our line of work was, we finally arrived at the abandoned building the ghost was supposedly possessing.

After one more word of caution, the three of us entered the building, first Dad, then Sam, and me in the rear. I had to make sure that nothing happened to Sam while we were here. Dad could find and kill the ghost, but it was my job to make sure that Sam wasn't hurt. Dad had talked to me several times on what to do when Sam finally went on his first hunt. The time had come to prove to Dad that I could protect Sam when things were dangerous. Besides, I was twelve now which practically made me a man.

We slowly searched the abandoned building, looking for any sign of the ghost. We were each armed with a shotgun, but Dad had been adamant that Sam would not use his, except in emergency situations.

"This is a learning hunt for you," Dad had said. "No trying to be heroic and get this ghost on your own."

I also had a container of salt in my pocket to use if things got out of hand. If the situation got too dangerous, I would force Sam to stay in a salt circle and let Dad and I do the work. I knew he would put up a fight and could easily disobey, but hopefully it wouldn't come to that.

After searching the building for a few minutes with no sight of the ghost, I was about to suggest we call it a night when I felt the temperature drop at least ten degrees.

"Did you feel that," Sam whispered. "Does that mean it's close?"  
"Yes," I answered. "Stay quiet."

We were all on high alert, ready for the ghost to appear any minute. We turned a corner, and there an image flashed before us, a bloody axe in his hand. I grabbed Sam's arm and pushed him behind me.

"Don't move," I ordered.

Dad lifted his gun, but before he could take a shot, the ghost rematerialized right in front of me. I blinked several times but I wasn't afraid of what it could do. I had faced plenty of ghosts before and this one was no different.

I reached for the axe, knowing that if I wanted to get rid of the ghost I would have to destroy the thing that was tying him here. My hands grasped part of the handle, but before I could pry it from his hands, he grasped my throat and squeezed. I tried prying his fingers away with one hand, still trying to get the axe with the others. But he was too strong for me and I could feel the breath leaving me. My eyes starting rolling back, but before I could pass out, the pressure was suddenly released. I sank to the ground, trying to catch my breath. Dad was in front of me, his gun still smoking from the fire he had fired.

"Thanks," I gasped.

"Hurry, go burn the axe before he comes back," Dad said.

I looked down to discover that I had actually gotten the axe from the ghost. Yes! Now I would be able to destroy the ghost and make Dad proud.

I ran into the frigid night air and threw the axe on the ground. Fumbling inside my pocket, I pulled out my salt and lighter, ready to end this sucker. I sprinkled the salt and was about to set it on fire when I heard Dad yell from inside the building.

I raced back inside, anxious about what I would find. I had never heard that panic in Dad's voice since the night Mom died. When I returned to the place where I had left Dad ad Sam, I found Dad standing over Sam, who was laying on the ground, unconscious.

"Sammy?" I yelled. "What happened?"

"The ghost grabbed him and threw him across the room," Dad said. "Why didn't you kill it sooner?" he asked.

"I was going as fast as I could," I retorted. Sammy was hurt and all Dad could do was criticize me for not doing my job as fast as he wanted. If he wanted the job done quicker, he should've done it himself.

I knelt down next to him, my heart beating rapidly. His face was so pale that it looked almost as white as the ghost's. How had I allowed this to happen? I was supposed to protect him, not let him get hurt. Steadying my shaking hands, I pressed my fingers against his neck, hoping for any signs of life, any sign that everything would be okay.

Nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – My World Falls Apart

No, this couldn't be happening. Not to Sammy. I was supposed to protect him. He counted on me to make sure that he got something to eat and that he wasn't lonely and that he stayed safe. And now I had failed him. One hunt, perhaps the most important hunt of my life, and I had failed my baby brother.

But I couldn't think about that now. I had to help him. I could worry about how I had failed later.

"Dad, go call an ambulance and I'll stay with Sammy."

For some reason, Dad listened to me and raced to the Impala. In those agonizing minutes, I held Sammy in my arms, saying I was sorry over and over. If Sammy made it out of this, I would make sure he was never hurt again. It had been stupid of me to convince Dad that Sam was ready to hunt. He was still a kid who would rather read books and watch cartoons than fight monsters. No matter how much Sam said he wanted to hunt, I knew that he didn't want this life. He had told Sully that multiple times, and kids will tell their imaginary friends everything.

Soon the ambulance arrived and Sam was quickly loaded onto the stretcher. I tried to stay next to him- to make sure he was safe- but the paramedics wouldn't let me near him. I wanted to know if he would be okay but my questions fell on deaf hears.

Sam was placed into the ambulance and the doors shut. Dad hurried me into the Impala and we did our best to keep up with the ambulance. During the whole ride, my hands were shaking and I hid them from Dad. He would only see it as weakness and tell me to suck it up. He would tell me it was my fault that Sam was hurt. And it was. It was my responsibility to protect Sammy no matter what.

Finally, we arrived at the hospital, and after being informed by the secretary that Sam was in the ICU, we took our seats in the waiting room. There was nothing I could do except think of all the times Sam and I had spent together. The late nights in the motel waiting for Dad and comforting him when he was scared.

I couldn't imagine my life without Sam. He was the innocence that kept me human. After a hunt, I would come back, wrecked after what I had seen. But Sam was always there, with a smile on his face and a comforting word. If it wasn't for Sam, I would probably turn into one of the monsters I hunt.

Now to think that I might have to live life without Sam was unfathomable. I needed my little brother as much as he needed me. And if the doctors couldn't find a way to save him, then I would have to. There had to be a way to bring Sam back and I wouldn't stop until I had found a way.

About an hour later, a doctor approached Dad and I and I instantly stood. "Is my brother okay?"

"We were able to revive him, but he is still in critical condition. He's sustained a concussion and some cerebral bruising. We've put him on life support, but if he doesn't wake up soon, then there will be nothing we can do."

No, this couldn't be happening. Sam was being okay; he had to be. I had promised myself that he would have a long life, away from hunting. And now his life might be cut short because of a hunt.

"Can I see him?" I asked.

"Yes," the doctor said. "But he is in a coma and we don't know when he might wake up."

At the moment, that didn't matter. I needed Sam to get better, but I would satisfy myself with being able to see him. Maybe if he knew I was there, he would wake up and everything would go back to normal.

The doctor led Dad and I to Sam's room and said to call the nurses if we needed anything. I entered the room, bracing myself for what I would see. But no amount of preparation could've prepared me for what I saw. Sam was laying there, pale and connected to various tubes. He was dwarfed by the bed and lay motionless. How could that be Sammy?

I was nearly sick from the sight. How could I have done this to my brother? It was my fault that this had happened and I had to fix it. Sam counted on me to keep him safe and I had failed. Somehow, I would make it up to him and make sure this never happened to him again.

I walked over to Sam and put my hand on his arm: cold as ice. Only the constant beeping convinced me that he was still alive. Looking at him, it didn't seem likely that he would ever recover from this. But I had to stay positive. Sam needed to know that he could make it out of this and I had to be that support for him.

I looked over to Dad who was pressed against the wall, his hands on his knees and breathing hard. What was he doing? If my son was dying I would want to make sure he was okay.

"I'll be back," he whispered and bolted out the door.

I cursed under my breath and shook my head. Sometimes I didn't understand Dad. He expected me to protect Sam which made me believe that Dad really did love his son. But then in times of crisis, he would run away and leave the responsibility to me. I didn't mind looking after Sam, but sometimes I wished that Dad would step up and be a father. He couldn't run from his problems forever. But that's what he had been doing for the past eight years and he probably wouldn't stop anytime soon.

I sat with Sam the rest of the day, talking to him, sharing memories with him, begging him to come back. Dad didn't return until I was curled up on the shabby couch. I pretended to be asleep and watched as he sat next to Sam, staring into space and not saying anything. Maybe that was his way of showing that he cared. If it was, that was a messed up system.

But in the long run, none of that mattered. Sam would be better soon and we would return to hunting. Our dysfunctional family would be together again and no matter how much we fought, we would make it work somehow. Because that's what family does.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Sorry it has taken me so long to update this. I've been really busy at school and haven't had the time. Hopefully I can make the time to update more frequently. Enjoy!**

Chapter 3 – Mysterious Activity

The next few days passed excruciatingly slow as I waited in the hospital for Sam to wake up. No matter how much I talked to him or begged him to wake up, he never did. He just lay there, growing paler every day. And of course, Dad did nothing but sit there and look blankly at the wall. If he was even in the room. He spent most of his time outside the room and didn't come back until late at night. Part of me wanted to believe that he was looking for a cure for Sam, but the practical side said that he was probably just getting drunk.

Whenever the doctors came into the room to check on Sam's condition, I could see the worry on their faces. I had overheard them saying that if Sam didn't wake up soon, there would be nothing they could do for him. But I refused to accept that. Although Sam had never been the toughest kid, I knew that he could get through this. He knew that he just couldn't leave me here alone.

The thought of living without my brother was more than I could take. If he wasn't around, who would I have to look after on the hunts I didn't go on? Who would be waiting for me when I came back from a hunt exhausted and dejected? Who would I one day train to be the best hunter in the world? If he was gone, none of those things would happen and there would be a hole in my heart that could never be filled.

I decided then that I would have to take matters into my own hands and not rely on science or doctors. That's how people died and I wasn't going to let that happen to Sam. I knew enough about the supernatural world that I could surely find something that would help him. An incantation or a faith healer or something like that. With all the things out there, there had to be a cure for Sam and I wouldn't stop looking until I found it.

That afternoon, when Dad was passed out on the couch, I whispered goodbye to Sam and snuck out of the hospital. The bright sunshine blinded momentarily and I had to blink several times before I could see. Once I could, I glanced around, wondering where I would go first. I had looked through Dad's journal, but he didn't have information about this area that would help me. I decided I would just wander the streets until I found something.

I walked around the town, taking in all the people walking around, some going about their business, but others laughing and seeming to enjoy the day. I wondered how many of them knew just what danger was out there. I'm sure that if they did, they wouldn't be so quick to find things funny. There was stuff out there that would make people realize that the world was bigger than their meaningless lives. Although I enjoyed my hunter life, it did come with its downsides. I tended to see the worst in the world and viewed everyone as a potential threat.

That's where Sam was different. He tried to find the good in everybody and never took anyone to be a monster. No wonder he wasn't cut out for the hunter life. When you're that soft, it's hard to kill someone even if they are a monster. I knew I should probably see things more from Sam's perspective, but I knew that I never would. I was a hunter for life and that's not how hunters operated.

The day was warm and I quickly shed my jacket. Soon I was sweating and decided to stop in a local diner to cool off. I slid into a booth and tried to look as inconspicuous as possible. The sooner someone saw me, the sooner I would get kicked out when I didn't order anything. Although I was eager to get on with my mission, I figured I could take a short rest.

As I sat there, I thought about all the great times Sam and I had shared. Our life had never been the normal, apple pie one that most people want, but in my opinion, it was a pretty good life. I usually had a roof over my head, food to eat, and a bed to sleep in. And on the days that I didn't, they were spent outside under the stars with Sam where we would talk late into the night until Dad finally told us to shut up. As I thought about not being able to do that anymore, something caught in my throat, and I had to push the emotion down before it took over. Dad would only scold me for being weak. And that was one thing I would never do.

I was able to stay in the diner for about fifteen minutes before I was kicked out, but that was fine by me. It reminded me too much of the ones that Sam and I ate at. As I made my way down an alley, looking for God knows what, I saw something strange in an alley to my right. My natural hunter instincts taking over, I turned that direction. I approached cautiously, not sure what I would find. I drew my knife, just in case I needed it.

When I got closer, I realized that what had attracted my attention was a bright white light. From my secluded spot behind a crate, I could see a man, the one emitting the light, standing over another one, who looked like he was bleeding profusely. After a moment the light diminished and the man who was on the ground stood up, appearing unharmed. I blinked, not sure of what I had just witnessed. I had never seen anything like this before, but if that shining man could heal this guy, surely he could heal Sam.

Ecstatic that I had finally found my chance to help my brother, I followed the mysterious man as he left the alley. The task proved hard at times as he made frequent turns into crowded streets. I practically had to run at times to keep up with him and I hoped I didn't blow my cover. But finally he slowed down and I was able to keep up with him. I didn't know what I was going to say when I caught up to him, but I had to at least ask him if he could help Sam. This was the only possible lead I had and I needed to know if this mysterious man could help me.

The man continued walking for at least ten minutes and I was starting to get tired. Maybe I should just tap him on the shoulder and ask him if there was any way he could heal Sam. But if this man was a threat, then I needed to keep my distance so I could make a quick escape if I needed to.

Eventually, he stopped on a road a short distance from town and before I could approach him, he whirled around and grasped my shirt.

He splashed me with what looked like holy water on me and shouted, "Who are you and what do you want with me?"

Oh crap.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I know it's been a month since I updated and I'm really sorry. I'm on Spring Break right now so hopefully I can squeeze one more chapter in after this before I have to go back. Enjoy!

Chapter 4 - Trials

"Please, don't hurt me!" I said. "I'm looking for someone to save my brother!"

The mysterious man didn't lessen his grip on my shirt. "Why do you think I would want to help you?"

"Because I saw you heal that guy in the alley," I said. "And I was thinking that if you could save him, you could save my brother. He's dying and I don't know who else to turn to."

I don't know why, but the man let me go. Maybe it was the pleading look in my eyes or the sincerity in my voice. Whatever it was, I was glad that he was finally listening to me.

"Come inside with me," he said and pointed to a worn down log cabin. "Explain everything."

I followed him into his cabin and was instantly reminded of the countless cabins like this that Dad, Sam, and I had stayed in during a hunt. The musty smell of old wood, the gun propped up against the corner, the dead silence. It made me miss hunting. I wanted Sam to get better, not just so I could have my brother back, but so I could go on hunts again. Except this time, without Sam. I wasn't going to make that mistake again and let Sam get hurt. He meant too much to me to put him through this again.

I sat in one of the rickety chairs at the worn table and began to tell the mysterious man my story. I wasn't sure if I should tell him _everything_ : he might shy away and not help me if I mentioned ghosts. But for some reason, I trusted this man and knew that he would believe what I said. At the end of my tale, he just sat there, nodding and rocking back and forth.

"Interesting," he said. "Interesting."

"Can you help my brother?" I asked. "I'm not sure how much longer he has."

"There is something I must ask you first," he said. "Do you believe in angels?"  
"Angels?" I asked. Sure, I believed in a lot of things: ghosts, demons, werewolves. But angels? Surely those couldn't exist. I just shrugged, hoping that would be an acceptable answer.

"Your answer has an important effect on what mine will be."

"I guess they might exist," I said. "There's a lot of stuff out there that people wouldn't believe was true but it is. So yeah, I believe that they might be out there."

"I'm glad to hear that," he said. "Because I'm an angel."

He was an angel? But how could that be? I thought they just stayed in Heaven, doing God's bidding? What was one doing on Earth? And why did he look so human? -But that didn't matter as long as he could heal Sam.

"So will you be able to do it?"' I asked. "Heal my brother."

"That depends on you," he said. "Angels don't do things for free. We require a special payment."

"What is it?" I asked. "Whatever it is, I'll pay it."

"Before you make such a hasty promise, you should know what you are getting into. Everyone thinks that angels are these nice creatures who will do anyone's bidding, but we can be quite nasty when we have a mind to. Are you sure you're willing to accept this risk?"

"Absolutely," I said. "Nothing is more important to me than saving my brother."

"Very well then," he said. "This is what you must do. I will present you with three tasks that will prove to me that you are worthy of my help. If you complete these tasks to my satisfaction, I will heal your brother. But if you fail, even in the smallest way, you shall not receive my help. Do we have a deal?"

The angel ran a hard bargain, but in the end I said yes. I didn't have anything to lose by playing the angel's game. And if there was a way that I could save Sam and didn't try it, I would never be able to live with myself.

"Very well," the angel said. "Follow me." He led me behind his cabin to where several targets were set up. Some of them were the normal, round targets that Dad had taught me on, but others were models of different animals. If this test was to see how many targets I could shoot in a certain amount of time, that would be easy.

"For the first test," the angel said. "I will make one of these animals come to life while the other two will remain inanimate. You will have a choice: shoot the live animal which will get you more points. It will come back to life each time you shoot it for as long as the challenge lasts. Or shoot the inanimate ones that will get you less points. To succeed in this task, you must have at least 100 points at the end of the minute. Do you understand?"

I nodded. This would be easy. I would just shoot the live animal to ensure that I earned enough points. It didn't seem like too hard a task. I would soon be on my way to winning these challenges and saving Sam. With a snap of the angel's fingers, one of the animals came to life and I raised the shotgun I had been provided. But as I was about to pull the trigger, I remembered Dad's command about how we never killed anything that didn't deserve it. Did that apply to this animal too? I knew it was just a plastic imitation before the angel made it real, but did I really have the right to harm this innocent creature? Against my better judgement, I moved my aim towards the inanimate animals and released a rapid fire of bullets. I might be screwing with my chances of succeeding, but I couldn't get Dad's words about not hurting the innocent out of my head.

After one minute, the angel called time and I put my gun down. I hoped that I had scored enough points to move onto the next test and eagerly waited for the angel's answer. After what seemed an eternity, he finally said,

"Well done. Not only did you reach the 100 points, you also learned an important lesson. You learned that life is precious and should not be thrown away so easily. You could have decided to shoot the live animal and secure your chances of winning, but you decided to take your chances and preserve its life. I applaud you."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I had passed. So listening to Dad every once in a while actually paid off. I was eager to move onto the next trial, knowing that I was one step closer in securing the angel's help for Sammy.

Next, the angel led me to the front of his house and pointed to the roof. "For your next test," he said. "You will have to navigate your way down from the roof back to the ground. But it's not that easy: the roof will also be on fire."

What? What kind of test was this? Was he trying to kill me? But I knew that if I didn't do this, Sam would have no chance of getting better. I sighed and told the angel that I was ready. He snapped his fingers and I was suddenly on the roof, staring down at the ground below. With another snap of his fingers, the roof erupted in flames and I knew that I wanted to escape alive, I needed to move quickly.

The last time I had experienced a burning building was when Mom died and my escape had been easy then. Now I needed to figure out a way to get off the roof with falling or being burned. As I assessed my surroundings, I ruled out jumping: it was too far up for me to land safely. There was no chimney that I could slide down and end up in the house. And even if I did that, the fire would've probably spread there by then.

In the end, I decided to crawl to the nearest window ledge and hope to get down safely that way. I headed to the edge of the roof and looked down. The window was a several foot drop and the width narrow. It would be difficult to make a good landing, but it was the only option I had. Taking a deep breath, I leapt, the threat of the flames urging me on. Instead of landing on the narrow ledge, I missed and nearly went the rest of the way to the ground. My fingers grappled for a hold and I was able to get a little purchase on the ledge.

Now I was hanging from the ledge, the flames spreading down the side of the house and slowly coming closer. I needed to move fast or I wouldn't finish this task. I quickly judged how far it was to the ground and determined that if I let go, I could probably make it. Preparing myself for the hard landing, I let go of the window and bent my knees, hoping I wouldn't break anything during the fall. Thankfully, I landed on my feet without a scratch.

As soon as I hit the ground, the flames went out and I knew I had completed my trial. I was one step closer to saving Sam!

"That was very good," the angel said. "There were several options you could've chosen, but you chose the one that seemed most likely to work. The point of this test was to see if you could keep your head during a crisis. And I am pleased to say that you most certainly can."

I smiled. Once again, I realized how useful all those hunts with Dad were proving to be. Sometimes I didn't enjoy all the danger I experienced, but it had taught me how to get out of a tricky situation.

"Now for your final test. I want you to summon a crossroad demon and make a deal with him. It can be for anything you want, you just have to accept the deal. Okay?"

I didn't know if I wanted to summon such a terrible demon and try to make a deal with him. That would only cause more trouble than it was worth and I wasn't willing to pay the consequences. But if it would save Sam, then maybe I should do it. I just had this feeling in my stomach and that this was a bad idea. So with a shakiness in my voice, I told the angel that I wasn't going to risk whatever the demon had planned for me and that I couldn't complete this task.

To my great surprise, he began clapping, a smile on his face. "Congratulations," he said. "By refusing to take that unnecessary risk and for thinking for yourself, you have actually completed the task. If you had summoned the demon, I would have been very mad at you for bringing that kind of trouble here and would not have agreed to help your brother. But because of your bravery, I will agree to help you."

I almost leaped for joy. I had completed the trials and now Sam would get better. I had proved both to myself and hopefully to Dad that I wasn't a total failure and could actually do some good.

"Now come along," the angel. "Your brother awaits." 


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who stayed with this story even with the long breaks between updates. I hope you enjoy this last chapter. I should have a new story coming up soon, so be on the lookout for that!**

Chapter 5 – Healing

The trip back to the hospital was a quick one and the whole way, I couldn't wipe the smile ofrf my face. I couldn't believe that I actually found someone who could help Sammy. Dad would be so proud of me for protecting my little brother. I know he blamed me for what happened to Sam, but now I was sure that he would forgive me. Keeping Sam safe was the only thing that mattered and I would do anything to make sure that something like this never happened again.

When the angel and I arrived at the hospital, I led him to Sam's room, nervous what Dad would say. On one hand, he might be thrilled that Sam would be okay, but on the other hand, he might be furious that I had enlisted an angel's help. Angels weren't even supposed to exist, but with all the things I had seen, I believed in everything. And Dad should too. Especially if he would save Sam.

"Dad," I said as we entered the room. "I found someone who can help Sammy. He'll be okay!"

Dad pulled his gun and aimed it at the angel. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Dad, stop!" I yelled. "This is a good guy. I saw him heal another guy and he promised to do the same for Sam. He's an angel."

"An angel? Those don't exist."

"Please," the angel said, "if my services are not required here, then I shall take my leave."

"No, wait," I said. "Give him a chance, Dad. If he heals Sam, then you can apologize and if he doesn't, then you can shoot him. Just let him try."

"I don't think I'm too fond of this plan," the angel said.

"Fine, whatever," Dad said, his gun still aimed at the angel. "You get one try and that's it. Get on with it."

The angel sighed and I wished that Dad would lay off. Why couldn't he see that the angel was here to help Sam? Did he not trust me when I said that if this man could heal Sam then he would? Dad never appreciated just how much I did for Sammy and it was about time he realized that. I would do anything to help my brother, and the sooner Dad saw that, the better.

The angel cautiously moved towards Sammy, making sure that Dad wouldn't back down on his word. To my relief, the angel made it to Sam's side alive. He placed his hand on Sam's forehead and I held my breath, waiting for something to happen. A blue aura began to shine around my brother. It was working! I had seen enough to know that this was a good sign.

After a few moments, the light faded and the angel stepped back. I stared intensely at Sam, waiting for a response. Surely he had to wake up soon. The angel's magic had worked; I had seen it with my own eyes. But Sam wasn't waking up and I began to worry if this had all been a hoax.

"Well, you've had your chance, angel," Dad said, repositioning the gun at the supernatural being. "My son is no better and you didn't keep up your end of the deal. Now it's time for me to uphold my side."

I closed my eyes tight, not wanting to witness the death of the angel. I didn't know why his magic didn't work, but that didn't mean he was a bad guy. He had healed the man in the alley and I had survived his trials. He had failed to heal Sam but that didn't mean I wanted him to die. My philosophy was that we should ask questions first and shoot later. Not the other way around.

But before Dad could pull the trigger, I heard Sam's small voice mutter my name and my eyes flew open. He was alive! The angel's magic had worked! I rushed to Sam's side and took his hand. His hair hung over his face and I pushed it back, grateful to see his green eyes again.

"Dean, what happened?" he asked. "Where am I?"

"Shh, don't worry about it," I said. "Everything will be okay. Just rest for now."

Sam nodded and closed his eyes. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Sam would wake up again and I wouldn't have to face life without him. I looked back at Dad, who had holstered his gun and was standing there, stock still. A fire burned within me at the fact that he hadn't cared enough about his son to go to him when he woke up. Sam had asked for _me_ , not Dad. What did that say about who Sam trusted more? But that didn't matter right now; I was just happy that Sam would be okay.

"Thank you so much," I told the angel. "I knew you would pull through. Is there any way I can repay you?"

The angel shook his head. "My payment is the smile on your face when your brother awoke. Now, I must be on my way. Keep an eye on your brother. You two have something special and I would hate to see that destroyed."

I nodded, vowing to do everything possible to ensure that Sam was never hurt again. He counted on me to keep him safe, and I had failed. Thankfully, it worked out okay this time, but I couldn't bank on luck again if there was a next time. It was my job to keep Sam safe, and I planned to do whatever necessary to ensure that.

*** 2 days later ***

"Careful, Sam," I said as he got out of the car. "You don't want to hurt yourself."

"Dean, I'm fine. I'm not a baby."

The doctor had discharged Sam earlier this afternoon, saying that all he needed was some rest for a couple of days and he would be back to normal. I had convinced Dad to let us stay in the motel for that time even though there wasn't a job anymore. Sam didn't need a car ride across America; he needed some canned soup and cartoons. And I was going to make sure he got that.

I got Sam into the motel room and instantly sent him to bed. He complained that he had been in a bed for the past week, but I insisted. I promised him that there would plenty of time out of bed once his strength was back. I tucked him in tight, and despite his outcries, he fell asleep almost immediately.

Smiling at my persuasive ways, I plopped onto the saggy couch and turned on Batman, making sure to keep the volume low. Dad had gone on a supply run and wouldn't be back for a while. For the first time in a long time, I was able to relax and not think about hunts, monsters, or saving my brother. There would time for that later, but for now I just wanted to forget about this crappy life I had. I knew this moment wouldn't last forever, and I planned on enjoying it while I could. I could just be me.


End file.
